Pre-Elementary

Are establishing their identity. Who am I, and who is in charge? Although a toddler is asserting his own control and independence, he still needs a strong sense of security in order to explore the world with more purpose. Your child starts Toilet training from 18months to three years. As his/her nervous system becomes better developed and integrated, your child will learn to control her bladder and bowels.

At Cedars School, the curriculum for this group involves every experience the child is exposed to throughout the day. For example, diaper changes, eating time and play periods are perfect opportunities for language development-talking to the child and telling him what is happening and letting the child know that this is not a hurried or rushed experience and that they are valued and precious individuals. Throughout the day, the caregivers will take advantage of these care giving experiences that are so important in the early years of life and turn them into meaningful and positive experiences for a child's healthy development. Along with the individual care giving moments, teachers will also plan and organize their environments to provide experiences which enhance motor development, cognitive development, language, listening and responding to sounds and voices, and problem solving, social development and expressing emotions towards others. The curriculum does not necessarily involve "lessons" especially for BCG but rather opportunities for experiences that they can absorb and use for life. The ENRICHMENT Materials in the classrooms are organized taking into consideration the group’s stages of development, children's individual differences and level of development. These materials are constantly changed and rotated based on the children’s interest and reaction, thereby constantly providing a challenging and varied learning experiences. The children will also be introduced to dance and movement as well as arts and crafts. Water play and sand play for older children

Consequently, we make no effort to force any child to adapt to the set schedule and timing. Enjoy and participate with us all the way.

Kindly feel free to give us your input and we hope to work together with you to make your child’s experience with us the best possible. We keep a daily progress report of our work with your child who is sent home expecting your response and feedback. Kindly ensure that you sign and respond on daily basis.

SENSITIVE PERIODS (Birth to three years) Children pass through “Sensitive periods” in which they are primed to learn, and some of these opportunities don’t come twice. During a sensitive period, children become intrigued by aspects of their environment. Movement: Your baby’s random movement becomes coordinated and controlled (birth-1year) Language: Practice coos and sounds, your baby babbles and uses words (from birth-6years) Small Objects: Your child will adore small objects and tiny details as eye hand coordination become increasingly refined and accurate. Order: Everything must have its place. You will notice a passionate love of routines and a desire for consistency and repetition in your child. (2-4years) Music: When Music is part of your child’s everyday life, he/she will show spontaneous interest in the development of pitch, rhythm and melody. (2-sixyears) Toilet training: Toilet training starts from (18months to three years) Grace and Courtesy: Your child will love to imitate polite and considerate behaviour leading to an internalization of these qualities into her personality. Senses: Sensory exploration begins at birth, but sensorial education starts from 2years. Your child will be fascinated with sensorial experiences (taste, sound, touch and smell).

B. Flourishing Conscious Learners Group – FCLG A (3 years+ – 4 years+)

Montessori schools operate vertical grouping otherwise known as mixed-age grouping. It is a Montessori approach. Vertical grouping otherwise known as mixed age grouping is a situation whereby children of different ages are put together in the same Montessori classroom. This encourages the older children to assist the younger ones both within and outside the classroom and fosters healthy relationship and social interaction. We call them Conscious Learners because at this level they have started exploring all that they absorbed at their earlier stage(birth-3years), now consciously. We have Reception and preparatory class. Reception class are the 3+ - 4 +years old while the preparatory are 4+ - 5 + years being prepared for Elementary class. Both groups are known as Nursery 1 and 2 in most traditional schools but in Montessori schools, they are vertically grouped(mixed age grouping) which serves the main purpose of social interaction and Montessori guided by nature principles.

Cedars is a Christian-Montessori school where we raise children holistically (that is where every aspects of a child’s development is catered for). For us to raise a holistic child, we cover all areas of development viz (physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual).

Examples of activities under these areas of development are: Physical: e.g. the Physical exercises and Practical life activities which help the development of both their gross and fine motor skills. E.g. carrying exercises, pouring, rolling and unrolling, running, jumping, skipping et cetra. Intellectual: e.g. identifying and finding specific objects, matching lids to containers, working on geometric puzzles etc which help to build foundation for intellectual unfolding.

Emotional: We share love and affection and also provide a secured and safe environment. Social: e.g. social graces and courtesies, listening to instructions, sharing materials, social interaction etc in a mixed age group setting on a daily basis. Spiritual: e.g. listening to bible stories, singing together and making melodies in our hearts to the Lord, recitation of bible verses, disciplining and praying with them. In terms of academics, the Montessori system of education develops the child’s co-ordination, concentration, independence, his motor skills and his self esteem which are the basic foundation required for further learning. We spend most of our day/time (2½ -3hours uninterrupted) working with our didactic materials after our circle time after which we then reinforce lessons in print forms.

Also, because children are different from adults in the way they learn, we give them the opportunity to work with materials over and over again after the fundamental lessons are given to them (that is after the teacher’s presentation of the materials for the first time with them). This offers them the opportunity to achieve the goals of that material which are internal rather than just external. All these materials as we know really prepare the children for future learning.

We start with quiet time in God’s presence (singing, dancing and sharing the word of God). Next circle time, when both the teacher and the children will be seated on the mat, and the teacher at this stage gives the children ground rules (the acceptable behaviour in the classroom and outdoors), graces and courtesy, greetings etc. after the circle time, they start with their un-interrupted work (i.e. working with the Montessori materials), the teacher at this stage attends to each child on one-on-one basis. She allows the children to work on the materials of their choices which had been introduced to them and she takes record of how they are progressing in working with each material. They work with the materials for about 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours depending on the individual pace and the Directress goes round to offer individual guidance. Other activities like Writing exercises, Art and Craft and other activities follow. Our Curriculum areas are: 1) Practical life activities 2) Sensorial Education 3) Language & Arts 4) Mathematics 5) Arts and cultural activities. 6) Christ-centered activities. 7) Enrichment: Bible Adventures, Civic Education, French, Diction, Nelson Handwriting and so on

Our goals can only be achieved with the participatory efforts of our parents. Parents also can contribute to the child’s holistic development by giving them freedom at home to do some household chores, after they have been shown how to use them. They should exercise patience to analyze movement of activities of each work with their children because it is through practice that they become experts and it is in the process of working repeatedly that the child develops self-esteem, satisfaction and independence.

C. Flourishing Conscious Learners Group PREP (4 years – 5+ years)

These are the group being prepared for the Elementary group and so need some more structured routine.

The Preparatory group of the FCLG (4+ – 5+ years) is given a separate class in order to prepare them for Elementary (Primary class), we get them more focused for the primary years. For this reason, this group are specially tutored and mentored in a specially prepared classroom environment to meet their developmental needs.

We expect the children in this group to have become 5years by September of the academic year that they will be entering the primary class. Except where a child has been carefully to be exceptional, we insist that the child goes through the structured process to enable the child become psychologically and physically ready for the next class before moving to Elementary.